Aerial stem modification

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Grapevine tendrils and leaves.
Thorns.
Cladodes.

Aerial stem modifications are modifications to the

tuberous stems, and bulbils.[4][5] [6]The auxiliary or the terminal part of the modified structures shows their stem nature.[7]

Tendrils

Some weak-stemmed plants produce wiry, coiled, sensitive, and delicate organs for climbing. They are called

terminal bud develops into tendrils.[9][10][11]

Thorns

These are hard, woody, pointed structures meant for protection. They are provided with

by reducing the vegetative growth. In
Punica granatum, the thorns bear leaves and branches.[18] In Carissa carandas the terminal bud produces a pair of thorns. They help in protection.[19]

Bulbils

When the axillary bud becomes fleshy and rounded due to the storage of food, it is called bulb[20]l. It gets detached from the plant, falls on the ground, and develops into a new plant. e.g. Dioscorea.[21] It is in the axel (the space between the leaf and stem).[22]

Cladode

These are green branches of limited growth (usually one internode long) that have taken up the functions of photosynthesis.[23] True leaves are reduced to scales or spines, e.g. Asparagus.[24]

References